In recent years, awards season red carpets have become a bit wavy. A little too left-field, if you ask us. While we appreciate the theatrics of dressing up, that’s the sort of thing we expect from the Met Gala. When it comes to ceremonies like the Oscars, we prefer the trad way. We’re of the opinion that a tuxedo doesn’t have to be boring or stuffy; in fact, men can have a lot of fun with one.
There’s a quote from Tom Ford that I like: “Night is the one and only place that I think that men can really dress in an extravagant way and still look classic and chic.” For me, that translates to black tie: exuberant, yes, but inherently chic. Host Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue in 2025 included it is “important that everyone is properly dressed” on such a prestigious night as the Oscars, but still so many guys are, sadly, not doing that. That being said, take Jacob Elordi, who has become a bit of a menswear muse during his most recent press tours. At the 2026 Oscars, he showed up in a three-piece tuxedo from Bottega Veneta. Elordi, one of the few to opt for the tripled-up look, nodded to the norms of Oscars dressing while adding a touch of fun.
Mike Coppola
By choosing three-piece tailoring – an oversized satin lapel jacket, trousers, and a big buttoned waistcoat – he not only added a little something extra with the Bottega Veneta quirks in the finer details, but also paid homage to the greats of Old Hollywood. Those men who always adhered to black tie norms and understood that a tuxedo was designed for celebration – and always got it right in doing so. The guys that, we reckon, Tom Ford would definitely appreciate. Paul Newman famously wore a three-piece suit, as did Fred Astaire. Menswear icon Sidney Poitier also wore a three-piece on occasion, even sporting a white waistcoat at the 1964 Oscars when he received the Best Actor gong. While many of his contemporaries are out there wearing bright white and left-field boots (Timothée Chalamet, we see you), Elordi’s approach was a subtle way of saying, “I’m like those guys.”
So, when in doubt, do as Elordi does and stick to the dress code. After all, black tie isn’t a bad thing.
